Brandon Ralph McBride is a biotechnology consultant who lives and works in Las Vegas, Nevada. He holds degrees in chemistry and marketing from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, and says that he has been oriented toward science for most of his life.

He is also mechanically inclined, and enjoys nothing more than tinkering on his bicycle in his home bike workshop. He has gained a reputation in his neighborhood of being the go-to guy when something goes wrong with a bike, and a lot of area kids have been gravitating to his garage, where next to his electric car is a nearly complete bike workshop.

The centerpiece to the workshop is a double bicycle repair stand. Against the wall is a large pegboard holding an array of tools, like screwdrivers and pliers and a rubber mallet. It also holds bike-specific tools like cable cutters, a chain whip, and master link pliers, and more types of wrenches than many people know even exist, each one designed to turn something: a pedal wrench, a threaded headset wrench, a set of cone wrenches, half a dozen spoke wrenches, three-way hex wrenches, P-handle hex wrenches with ball ends, a lock ring wrench, a torque wrench, a crank wrench, an adjustable cup wrench, box and open-end wrenches, and a monkey wrench. There is even a bottle opener that Brandon Ralph McBride calls a beverage wrench. "No wonder we call ourselves wrenches," he jokes.

But for ordinary, less-ambitious bike mechanics, he says that only a dozen or so tools are truly essential. "They aren't enough to completely free you of dependence on your local bike shop, but they'll get you halfway there." One essential tool is a chair wear tool, which allows you to measure a bike chain for wear. Regularly replacing the chain is considered routine maintenance and can extend the life of the more expensive cogs and chain rings.

A multi-tool is also an essential tool. Brandon Ralph McBride says they are several tools in one, including hex wrenches and screwdrivers. You should have a good floor pump, a chain tool, and as for all those wrenches, he says the most often used are the 8, 9, and 10mm.

Lastly, he recommends adding cable cutters and a few tire levers to your collection.